Mafia 3 is finally out! The release is October 7,2016 so you can get your hands on 2K’s action-adventure right now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
We’ve put together all our coverage of Mafia 3 news over the past few years, including the trailers, gameplay and history of the latest game in the gangster-themed series.
Mafia 3 rumors begin
It was way back in 2012 when Mafia 3 was first rumoured for next-gen consoles. It was apparently scheduled as a launch title for both PS4 and Xbox One, but 2K Czech had internal issues which saw 40 members of staff get the axe. Shortly after the initial rumor, a number of job listings cropped up from the company pertaining to a “top secret, unannounced & super interesting project” that would “facilitate development of the company’s ‘next AAA title.”
Location and characters hinted at
Though it was common knowledge that the game was in development over the subsequent couple of years, it still hadn’t been announced when an image was leaked suggesting that the game would be set in Louisiana. The image related to a casting call from 2K Games for voice actors for the game, and mentioned three characters: Franklin, Tony and Mickey. However, we now know that Franklin and Mickey aren’t listed in the official character roster. The casting of Tony could have been referring to Tony Derazio, a capo in the Marcona crime family.
Domains registered
Come December 2014, Mafia 3 still hadn’t been announced, but retailer, Play Asia, fuelled speculation by listing the game for release on PS4 and Xbox One. It was only a matter of time before a major announcement, and in June 2015 2K Games registered the following domains:
- mafia3thegame.com
- mafiaiiithegame.com
- mafiathree.com
- mafiathreethegame.com
Mafia 3 Worldwide reveal
Shortly after, the publisher set the date of August 5, 2015 to finally reveal Mafia 3 to the world, and the following trailer confirmed details, such as location and the backstory.
In the first official press release we discovered that the game would be set in a re-imagined New Orleans and would feature the main protagonist Lincoln Clay, an ex-Vietnam veteran who returns from war and joins up with the mob. We’re told he gets betrayed by the mob, and decides to take revenge building a gang of his own to take over the streets of New Orleans.
Following the first trailer, speculation was rife that 2K may have copied GTA V’s open-world experience, but the idea was dismissed by 2K’s CEO Strauss Zelnick. "Mafia 3 is a completely different experience. I wouldn’t compare it to anything else out there. The reveal [at Gamescom] was great, but it stands alone," said Zelnick.
Mafia 3 release date
All eyes were on a release date, and the first indication came from a poster at Best Buy which stated that the action-adventure game would launch on April 26, 2016. This turned out to be incorrect, and shortly after this trailer confirmed an October 7, 2016 release date.
Special editions and collector editions confirmed
Shortly after, preorder and special editions were announced. While the Limited Deluxe included the full game and a season pass to future content, the Limited Collector’s Edition contained the game’s soundtrack on vinyl, an art book and art prints, and other goodies.
Tons of trailers
In the following months, 2K ramped up its marketing push with numerous trailers. The first gameplay trailer at E3 2016 gave us a look at 20 minutes of all-out action on the streets of New Orleans, and introduced new characters such as Cassandra, Burke and Vito Scaletta.
At E3 2016, we got our first change to play Mafia 3, and delivered our gameplay impressions via the following video.
Four more Mafia 3 trailers were then released, introducing Thomas Burke and giving us some insight into mob rackets. Other trailers included a closer look at combat, and more explosive gameplay. As release date got closer, the PS4 file size was revealed to be approximately 45GB.
Mafia 3 review incoming
The Mafia 3 release date is October 7, 2016. Stay tuned for our review shortly.